


Of Human Diseases

by yaruna



Series: Of Years Gone By [8]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Friendship, Gen, Legolas POV, Mild Hurt/Comfort, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 18:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4930249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaruna/pseuds/yaruna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Legolas POV</p><p>Wherein Legolas is certain his friend will die</p><p>All parts of the series are stand-alone one-shots, though some may have references to previous happenings</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Human Diseases

Estel had forced me to go on another hunt with him once I had recovered from our latest one. I was a bit uncertain about it, and had pleaded with Elladan and Elrohir to come with us, but they had begged off. They had muttered some thing or another about not having time to babysit  _two_ spawns of Mordor.

I was now highly regretting that I had not listened to my gut feeling and just not gone with Estel. Then again, he had said he would go alone if I would not come with him, which would have been infinitely worse. Because now he was lying at the trunk of a tree, shivering (even though he was covered in all our blankets). He had been fine when he had gone to sleep, but now it appeared he had been poisoned. I had been racking my brain the entire night to try to figure out just  _when_  he had been poisoned, but had not been able to figure it out. What are five centuries of experience if you can not even help your friend?

I poked at the fire with a stick, wishing the water could boil faster, when I heard a groan from Estel.

'Estel!' I said and moved to his side. His eyes were feverish. 'Are you all right?' I just barely managed to refrain from rolling my eyes at my question. Of course he wasn't.

'Let me sleep.' He groaned and I shook my head.

'No, enough with the sleep! You have slept for the entire night, and almost unto noon! I'm making some  _athelas_  for you, for I have been unable to wake you.' I said, walking back to the non-boiling water, and he sat up carefully to lean against the tree trunk.

'I am fine.' He muttered, but his eyes were hazy and unfocused. He had trouble breathing; I could hear him taking his breaths through his mouth rather than through his nose.

'I fear you have been poisoned.' I told him, and he turned his gaze at me in confusion. Then I saw a flash of… something… in his eyes. It was gone so quickly that I could not identify it. Had it been mirth? No… Why would it be?

'Ai, Legolas.' He whined and I moved again to come closer to where he sat. I put my hand against his forehead. It was clammy and he was warm even though it was quite cool outside.

'I am dying.' He moaned and I frowned.

'I  _knew_  we should not have left for a hunting trip!' I said angrily and looked into Estel's eyes. They were drooping. Then he sneezed and I recoiled. He'd just hit me with his disgusting yellow mucus. But I had to be valiant; he was dying after all! Although it was a strange working poison indeed. Or was the sneezing a way for the human body to get rid of it?

'Legolas!' He groaned. I was becoming really worried. I had never seen him like this before. He had never complained this much, not even when he had gotten a spear right through his shoulder. 'I'm so cold! And every bone in my body hurts!'

'What have you broken?' I asked, horrified. Indeed, this was a strange poison. Could not the water finish boiling quickly, and why had I waited so long before I had thought to boil some? He had turned surprised eyes at me, before he started to chuckle. I became angry, not at Estel per say, but it was frustrating to just watch as he died.

'Do not exhaust yourself on my behalf!' I sneered, angrier than I had intended, but he just laughed louder, until it turned into a racking cough and I muttered an apology.

Finally, the water was boiling! I took it away from the fire and let the leaves soak for a while before I held it up to Estel.

'It will not help.' He said weakly, but still breathed in the healing fragrance.

'Then what can I do?' I asked, desperate.

'I want to go home. To my warm bed.' He muttered and I nodded.

'Yes, Elrond can save you.' I said, absolutely convinced of the fact, began packing up everything and put it on Estel's horse behind his saddle. I put the fire out and looked at Estel thoughtfully. Though he looked exhausted, he had a small smile on his face, and I was glad he did not appear to be hurting at the time.

'Will you be able to ride?' I asked, and he turned the left side of his mouth upwards in a cocky grin.

'Always.' He said and pushed himself up. But then he staggered, and I took three long strides to reach him before he fell.

'Careful.' I said as I supported him to his horse. 'I would rather you ride with me, Estel.'

'I will not!' He glared at me. 'I'm not invalid.'

'No, you're only dying, according to your own words!' I said vehemently, but then muttered, 'Though hearing you fight me makes me doubt. It would seem you are not much different from how you normally are.' I smirked, but carefully helped him get onto his horse.

He kept his own for quite a while, but I saw his head drop a few times. He was sniveling a  _lot_. And above all, he was still shivering. I almost thought he was going to fall out of the saddle.

'Enough!' I called, tired of the slow pace we had to keep. I wanted to get him to Imladris,  _now!_

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

'Stop this foolishness and ride with me!'

'I never knew you wanted to hold me so much.' He smiled teasingly and I glared.

'I never knew you wanted to die so badly.' I snarled in response and was surprised to see that glint in Estel's eyes again. It definitely was mirth.

'I will be fine until we reach Imladris.' He snickered and I growled. I growled! The human frustrated me to no end. I never growled! It was something that was reserved for orcs and wargs, and possibly for dwarves. It was not for elves!

As soon as I saw Imladris rise in front of us, I wanted to gallop to it, but Estel never would have managed. And I could not just leave him, especially, I reminded myself, since it was for his sake I wanted to reach Imladris. So we rode the distance at a walk, and I saw how Estel sat up straighter and straighter in his saddle. I was certain he was going to feed Elrond with the worst lies, human as he is.

Elrond was standing by the gates, waiting for us. He had taken to doing that, whenever Estel or I were arriving in Imladris. He said it saved time.

'He's poisoned!' I said, jumping off my horse, before Estel had time to even open his mouth, and I got an exasperated, but still kind of… joyful, glare.

'Am not.' Estel muttered, and Elrond walked up to him, scrutinizing him closely before he started to laugh heartily, and I was surprised.

'He's dying!' I said, thinking Elrond must have missed something.

'To your room, Estel.' Elrond smiled and Estel jumped off his horse with his father's aid, and began walking slowly towards the Last Homely House.

'What? Elrond, certainly…' I began, but stopped when he looked at me in compassion, and just a tad bit of humor, and I suddenly realized.

'He is just sick.' I muttered, narrowing my eyes. Elrond nodded before he handed me the reins of Estel's horse and then he went to help his son inside. I stood still for a few moments, thoughts of the last night and day rushing through my mind, making me more and more annoyed as I realized how I had been fooled.

'You  _are_  dying, Estel! Do not be mistaken!' I shouted, to make sure he heard me with his human ears. 'As soon as you are well again, I shall kill you myself!' I heard him laugh softly as he went.

I turned my back to them and went with the horses to the stables. Stubborn, evil, lying human! Thank the Valar he would live.


End file.
